Zendaya and Tom Holland first sparked relationship rumors in 2017 and recently got engaged
Zendaya and Tom Holland’s romance stayed undercover from the start.
According to Zendaya’s former K.C. Undercover costar Tammy Townsend, the actress and Holland, both 28, kept their relationship “under wraps” when they were “first dating” while she starred in the Disney Channel series and 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
“I knew it was serious,” Townsend, 54, tells PEOPLE of the stars’ relationship as she reflects on the show’s 10th anniversary. “Tom would just come through and see what we were doing.”
Townsend, who portrayed Zendaya’s mother in the series, says the cast “definitely knew that there was a really strong connection” between the pair, and she has nothing but praise for Holland, whom she calls “a really cool kid.”
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Trinitee Stokes, Zendaya’s on-screen little sister, also gushes about the Uncharted star, who spent a few weeks on the K.C. Undercover set “just hanging around.”
“He’s so funny,” Stokes, 18, says of Holland. “I love Tom, and I honestly have been so happy to watch this progression in their relationship because he’s such a great guy.”
Watching their relationship from the beginning to their current engagement has been an “exciting journey,” she adds.
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The Spider-Man costars first sparked relationship rumors in 2017, and an insider source told PEOPLE at the time that the two “started seeing each other” while filming together. Although Zendaya clarified to Variety in August 2017 that they were “friends,” Zendaya and Holland were spotted sharing a kiss in a car in July 2021.
For his girlfriend’s 25th birthday in September 2021, Holland made their relationship Instagram official with a sweet mirror selfie under which he called her “my MJ.” Before the premiere of their film Spider-Man: No Way Home, Zendaya reciprocated the gesture with a tribute to Holland, referring to him as “my Spider-Man.”
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At the 2025 Golden Globes, the Euphoria actress was the night’s hot topic after her glitzy ring had fans speculating she and Holland had gotten engaged. The next morning, a family source confirmed the engagement to PEOPLE, and a separate source said “everyone close to them knew” it was happening.
“He’s always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special,” said the second source. “Tom’s always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it’s official — she really is!”
Source people.com
